George elected Beach mayor

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH -- St. Augustine Beach City Commissioner Ed George was elected mayor Tuesday defeating Commissioner Don Terrill by a 3-2 vote of fellow commissioners.

He succeeds Frank Charles, who served as mayor for four years.

The vote followed an attempt by newly elected Commissioner Sylvester "Brud" Helholski to bar the public from speaking.

"I don't think it's appropriate at this time," Helholski said. He said the agenda did not include a place for public comment about the vote for mayor.

"I don' t recall public comment in the past," he said.

Helhoski said "rumors, conjectures and E-mails" had contributed to an acrimonious atmosphere about the candidates for mayor.

No commissioner would second his motion and nearly a dozen citizens got up to speak.At times it sounded like a high school popularity contest as the majority of the audience members told why George should be the mayor.

George later won the election on votes from himself and Commissioners Rich O'Brien and Helholski.

Terrill voted for himself along with Charles.

Terrill was nominated by Charles, who was barred from another term as mayor. He was reelected to a second four-year commission term in November.

Before the vote, Terrill said he wants to see the mayoral selection process changed. "I wish the people would get smart and start electing the mayor," he said. He has worked to get the issue on the ballot in the past, he said.

Several audience members spoke in favor of the idea, saying the vote should be up to the people and not the commission.

There was no response from the rest of the commissioners.

Commissioners elected O'Brien as vice mayor, also on a 3-2 vote. Voting for O'Brien were himself, Charles and Terrill. Helholski was the other candidate for vice mayor. He voted for himself and also got a vote from George.